Threat Matrix: May 2007

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[nwctwx]

U.S. Seeks Closing of Visa Loophole for Britons
-Full Story-

Omar Khyam, the ringleader of the thwarted London bomb plot who was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, showed the potential for disaffected young men to be lured as terrorists, a threat that British officials said they would have to contend with for a generation.

But the 25-year-old Mr. Khyam, a Briton of Pakistani descent, also personifies a larger and more immediate concern: as a British citizen, he could have entered the United States without a visa, like many of an estimated 800,000 other Britons of Pakistani origin.

American officials, citing the number of terror plots in Britain involving Britons with ties to Pakistan, expressed concern over the visa loophole. In recent months, the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, has opened talks with the government here on how to curb the access of British citizens of Pakistani origin to the United States.

	How the Plot Came Together
	Briefing on Release of 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism
	Iran to Tell Coalition Forces to Leave Iraq at Summit in Egypt

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[Cindy]

WHAT ARE THESE CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULTS LEARNING?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjZWrFoG6ws
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uf7N8HxPVVc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bU7MN6xj844
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iWxkNTTIu3U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waaeRF3XkhA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bmTXgR6QF4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RnZcbXOAlzU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzW8BhbJXmE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kMcHiVHf3R0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Q4n88Kg2ew

###

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2hAS49U0ew

“OBSESSION”
(Added November 17, 2006)

[Cindy]

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016322.php
(PALESTINIAN MEDIA WATCH)

May 06, 2007
“Mickey Mouse converts, takes new name, promotes jihad on children’s show”

~

Note: Video included.

http://www.pmw.org.il/Bulletins_may2007.htm#b060507

“Hamas steals Mickey Mouse image
to teach hate and Islamic supremacy”

by Itamar Marcus and Barbara Crook - May 6, 2007

~

http://www.pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_MickeyMouseClone.asx

###

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hamas

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=russia
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=putin

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=venezuela
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=chavez
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hugochavez

###

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1829075/posts

http://www.voanews.com/english/NewsAnalysis/2007-05-02-voa4.cfm

“Russian Arms in Latin America”
By Jela De Franceschi
Washington, D.C.
27 April 2007

###

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1829345/posts

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/06/wrussia06.xml

“Putin wants control of Russian scientists”
By Nick Holdsworth in Moscow, Sunday Telegraph
Last Updated: 10:59pm BST 05/05/2007

[Cindy]

Note: Video included.

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25380_Video-_What_Richard_Reid_Tried_to_Do&only

front page
Sunday, May 06, 2007

“Video: What Richard Reid Tried to Do”

[Oorang]

Man caught at Hancock Airport with blasting cap (New York)
May 05, 2007

A Nevada man packing a blasting cap in his luggage was stopped as he tried to pass a security checkpoint today at Syracuse Hancock International Airport, Syracuse police said.

Anthony Montoya, 20, of Spring Creek, Nev., was charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony, and fifth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, a misdemeanor, Sgt. Tom Connellan, speaking for Syracuse police, said. Transportation Security Administration agents made the discovery at 9:05 a.m. when Montoya's luggage was placed in an explosive screening device, Connellan said. The luggage was quarantined and part of the ticket area was blocked off by officers from the Syracuse police Airport Division, Connellan said. The department's Hazardous Devices Unit removed the blasting cap.

"This is not a bomb," Connellan said.

The non-electric blasting cap was connected to 16 feet of shock tube, Connellan said. The equipment is used to detonate commercial explosives, such as dynamite, Connellan said. If the cap and shock tube exploded, it could have caused injury to anyone nearby, Connellan said. Montoya was recently fired from a Gouverneur mining company and was on his way back to Nevada, Connellan said. There was no indication Montoya was going to use the blasting cap for any criminal activity, Connellan said. Montoya is expected to be arraigned Sunday morning in City Court.

http://blog.syracuse.com/news/2007/05/man_at_hancock_airport_caught.html

Muslim Extremists Attack Gaza Elementary School
Sunday, May 06, 2007

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip — Muslim extremists in long white robes attacked a children's festival at a U.N.-run elementary school with guns and homemade bombs Sunday, killing a politician's bodyguard in plain view of terrified youngsters — just the latest incident of lawlessness engulfing the Gaza Strip.

The new Palestinian unity government, formed two months ago, appeared powerless to end growing clan fighting, kidnappings and attacks by shadowy extremist groups on foreigners, music shops and Internet cafes. Hours after Sunday's attack, which also left seven people wounded, moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah and Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas were meeting in another attempt to put together a security plan.

Excerpted

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,270306,00.html

[Oorang]

A French citizen having contacts with Al Qaeda in Algeria arrested
May 7, 2007

French media sources revealed that French security services arrested a French young man from Arab origins last Saturday indicted with the establishment of direct contacts with the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat –GSPC- in Algeria.

The same sources made clear that the 34-year old B. Kamel has set contacts with the GSPC via Internet since a year, the same sources added that the French information services who supervised the operation have found explosives for ammunition and automatic gun manufacturing. In its first statements, the defence denied the fact that their client activities are based on religious or dogmatic objectives, but rather on pure political convictions they have not revealed.

A judiciary source unveiled to France Press Agency –AFP- that the arrested suffers from light psychological disturbances, which does not prevent him distinguishing his behaviour, the fact that means he takes on the whole responsibility for charges indicted to him by the French justice.

Noteworthy, the arrest intervenes as a result of French information services activity intensifying recently after the terrorist attacks that shaken Algeria and Morocco, especially given the fact that it coincides with the French presidential election campaign undertaken under tightened security measures.

http://www.elkhabar.com/FrEn/lire.php?ida=68223&idc=52

Powerful explosive device rendered harmless in Grozny
05.05.2007

A powerful homemade explosive device has been rendered harmless in the Zavadsky district of Grozny. As Itar-Tass learnt at the Chechen Interior Ministry on Saturday, on Friday morning, during engineering reconnaissance, officers of the Military Commandant’s Office discovered a radio-controlled homemade explosive device planted in a drain-pipe passing across the carriageway 1,300 metres from the check point on the territory of the Zavadsky district.

The explosive device consisted of a 152-mm artillery shell, a plastic bottle with explosive and an electric detonator. It was rendered harmless on the spot. At present search measures are being taken to establish persons involved in planting it.

Besides, a homemade explosive device was discovered and rendered harmless on the territory of a cemetery in the village of Nozhi in the Vedeno region. The explosive device consisted of a half-litre plastic bottle with powder of silver colour and electric wires.

http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=11500546&PageNum=0

[Oorang]

Last year, Russian arms transfers to Venezuela alone topped $3 billion dollars.

Interesting articles, thanks Cindy

[Oorang]

This is so sad. My sympathies are with you and your countrymen DieHard the Hunter. Hopefully your political leaders will see reason and will act accordingly.

[Oorang]

Militants stop cars, smash cameras in NW Pakistan
Sun May 6, 2007

KHAR, Pakistan - Some 200 gun-toting Islamist militants smashed car cassette players and mobile phone cameras on Saturday and ordered tribesmen in a Pakistani region to grow beards, part of a drive to impose Taliban-style values.

Excerpted

http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2007-05-06T094820Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-296886-1.xml&archived=False

Navy destroys two LTTE boats
May 6, 2007

Sri Lanka's Navy destroyed two LTTE boats during a pre-dawn clash off the country's east coast yesterday killing at least 12 Tiger terrorists, the Media Centre for National Security said. The clash broke out after the Navy spotted a cluster of Tiger boats off the coast of Pulmoddai, military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe said.

The cluster included 10 large boats, 12 small boats and four suicide boats to ram into naval vessels. The Tigers opened fire and the Navy retaliated, destroying and sinking two of the larger boats and killing 12 terrorists, Samarasinghe said. Two sailors suffered minor injuries in the attacks, he said.

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2007/05/06/sec01.asp

[Oorang]

Plane disappears over Sinai
Published: May 6, 2007

CAIRO -- Rescuers searched the Sinai Sunday for a plane carrying members of a team responsible for security arrangements between Israel and Egypt. The plane belonging to the Multi-National Force disappeared in clear weather about 80 miles from al-Nakheel in the Sinai, reported KUNA, the Kuwait news agency.

Authorities fear the plane may have hit a mountain before crashing, KUNA reported. The Multi-National Force is responsible for security arrangements between Israel and Egypt, as stipulated by the Camp David peace treaty.

http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/Top_News/2007/05/06/plane_disappears_over_sinai/

Afghan police raid Taliban ‘suicide prep school’
Wed, 04/04/2007

Afghan police acting on a tip stormed a madrassa in western Farah province seizing 22 Taliban members, according to officials. The raid targeted well known Taliban commander Mullah Hayatullah Khan but was not amongst those arrested. Most of those arrested are teenagers thought to be undertaking suicide bomb indoctrination.

Farah province has recently seen an upsurge in Taliban related violence including a spate of suicide bombings and high profile assassinations. The targeting of Mullah Hayatullah Khan and other known commanders is the latest tactic to be widely employed by ISAF and Afghan forces intent on spoiling the Taliban’s military objectives.

Excerpted

http://www.afgha.com/?q=node/2498

[DeaconBenjamin2]

FWIW (I know you are quoting the article) 15 kilograms is not 9 pounds, it is more than 33 pounds.

[Oorang]

'4,000 terror suspects in UK'
May 7, 2007

Up to 4,000 terrorism suspects and their supporters are active in Britain, the former Metropolitan Police Commissioner Lord Stevens said yesterday. Lord Stevens said the security service MI5 had recently suggested a figure of 2,000 but the true number was "probably nearer 4,000".

Police and MI5 were "still too underfunded and undermanned to cope with the task they face in the decades to come. And that's how long this will last," he said. The "infection" had spread out from "hot spots" such as Luton, the West Midlands and Finsbury Park in London and those involved in the fertiliser bomb plot case which finished this week were "ordinary and British".

Lord Stevens also gave warning that al-Qa'eda-linked extremists were already trying to infiltrate the police and the security services and that dozens had already been weeded out. He urged that known terrorism suspects and "hate clerics", such as Abu Hamza and Abu Qatada, should be deported, adding: "Our human rights come first. Yet, incredibly, our so-called Human Rights laws, and our enviable history of religious tolerance, mean that foreigners preaching death and destruction to our way of life are allowed to stay here because their own countries won't tolerate such evil."

In his column in The News of the World, after five terrorists were jailed for life in the fertiliser bomb case - which began as Operation Crevice for Scotland Yard when he was still Commissioner - Lord Stevens called for an independent Parliamentary committee "to publicly oversee the security services". This task is currently carried out by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which reports to the Prime Minister. Police and security services, he added, had "nothing to hide. But it's vital the public know that". There is controversy over how MI5 handled intelligence over links between the fertiliser gang and Mohammed Sidique Khan, the ringleader of the July 7 bombers.

It was claimed yesterday that al-Qa'eda extremists, including Khan, held a "summit" in London four years ago, at a barbecue, and plotted activity in Britain. The claims in The Sunday Times are attributed to Hassan Butt, a one-time radical now said to have turned his back on fundamentalist violence, Butt - a former spokesman for the now defunct al-Muhajiroun extremist group founded by Omar Bakri Mohammed - claimed the barbecue took place in late April 2003, after the invasion of Iraq and that he also met Mohammed Junaid Babar, an American jihadist who was the principal "supergrass" witness for the Crown in the fertiliser case at the Old Bailey.

It emerged in the trial that Khan, Babar and members of the fertiliser gang had attended a training camp in the Afghan border region in July 2003. It has also emerged that anti-terrorism police made inquiries around five months before the July 2005 bombings into two cars which were shown to be linked to Khan. The checks were carried out by Scotland Yard detectives as part of the preparation of the fertiliser case. Khan's own Honda and a courtesy car loaned to him by a garage cropped up during a surveillance operation in February and March 2004.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/05/07/nterror07.xml

[nwctwx]

Thanks. :)

[Cindy]

Thanks to Nick Grace as GLOBAL CRISIS WATCH (http://www.globalcrisiswatch.com ) for this week’s edition online.

QUOTE:

Global Crisis Watch
May 7, 2007 | Episode #49
Covert CIA and MEK “Jundullah” ops, AQ’s new generation of terrorists and U.S. visa waiver program, Kabuki theater over Tenet memoirs

Mysterious blasts in Bangladesh, covert CIA and MEK “Jundullah” operations in Iran, al Qaeda’s new generation of “freelance” terrorists in Europe and North Africa and the associated risk with the U.S. visa waiver program, and the kabuki theater playing out over former DCI George Tenet’s memoirs and what he writes about the Iraq-AQ connection. Guests: B. Raman, Institute for Topical Studies, Chennai, India; Olivier Guitta, TheCroissant.com; and counterterrorism researcher Tom Joscelyn.

Link: http://www.GlobalCrisisWatch.com/gcw/gcw_070507.mp3
46:00 minutes | 21.0 Megs

[Cindy]

http://news.google.com/news?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wn&scoring=n&q=Bahamas+%2B+Al+Qaeda&btnG=Search

http://news.google.com/news?ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&hl=en&tab=wn&scoring=n&q=Bahamas+%2B+Al+Qaida&btnG=Search

#

http://www.eitb24.com/new/en/B24_46703/politics/EL-PAIS-Sleeper-cells-in-Spain-raise-money-for-Al-Qaeda-in/

EL PAIS
“Sleeper cells in Spain raise money for Al Qaeda in North Africa”
05/01/2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Vicente Gonzalez Mota, a prosecutor at the National Court, was quoted by the paper as saying money was also sent from the Bahamas to an unidentified Algerian in Spain who is suspected of links to the al-Qaida group. These funds were camouflaged with bogus invoices in the name of a Japanese multinational company.

The Algerian has disappeared and Judge Baltasar Garzon, Spain’s best-known anti-terror fighter, has issued an international warrant for his arrest, El Pais said.”

#

http://al-qaeda.blogspot.com/2007/05/clulas-durmientes-financian-desde-espaa.html

#

http://srv2.vanguardia.com.mx/hub.cfm/FuseAction.Detalle/Nota.622045/SecID.23/index.sal

“Células durmientes financian desde España a Al Qaeda en Magreb: ´El País´”

Por Agencia

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “MADRID, ESPAÑA, MAYO 1, 2007 (EFE).- Células durmientes financian desde España a los grupos vinculados con Al Qaeda que operan en los países del Magreb, según informa en su edición de hoy el diario español “El País”, que cita investigaciones de la Audiencia Nacional.

Según la información de este periódico, el dinero para cometer las matanzas en el norte de África, la última de las cuales costó la vida a 30 personas en Argelia el pasado 11 de abril, procede de “células durmientes” que operan en territorio español.

Estos fondos, que se obtienen de la delincuencia común, han servido también para cometer atentados en Afganistán, Chechenia y Pakistán, explica este diario, que añade que una querella por blanqueo y financiación terrorista ha demostrado por primera vez que Al Qaeda esconde fondos en el paraíso fiscal de las islas Bahamas.

Dice “El País” que España y Francia son los principales “caladeros” europeos de esta extensión en el Magreb de la red terrorista inspirada por el saudí Osama Bin Laden, no sólo para captar militantes y enviarlos a Irak, sino también para recaudar dinero con el que mantener a sus integrantes y ejecutar atentados.

El periódico se apoya en informaciones de la Guardia Civil para afirmar que el antiguo Grupo Salafista para la Predicación y el Combate (GSPC), que el pasado mes de septiembre hizo pública su alianza con Bin Laden, obtiene fondos en España que sus correos trasladan a Argelia desde Alicante (sureste español).

De acuerdo con esta información, un equipo conjunto de fiscales, jueces y agentes españoles y franceses investigan desde octubre de 2006 una compleja red de financiación en ambos países del que se ha convertido en el grupo terrorista más temido en el norte de África.”

[Cindy]

Thank you for picking that up, Deacon Benjamin2.
I appreciate it.
Corrections and updates always welcome.

[Cindy]

“Up to 4,000 terrorism suspects...”

Sighing...(Too many thoughts to post any of them on a Sunday on this.)

Thanks for the links and snippets Oorang.

Jihad — another day.

Jihad > The eternal struggle > The eternal death > The eternal Hell.

[Cindy]

Yeppers...Russia, IRAN, Venezuela...what interesting times we live in.

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=khaledmeshal
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=meshal

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=INTIFADA

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=democrats
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=nancypelosi
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=pelosi

###

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1829439/posts

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=370025&sid=WOR

“Hamas` Khaled Meshal predicts another `intifada`”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “New York, May 07: Pointing to the difficult and escalating conditions on the ground, Hamas’ most powerful leader Khaled Meshal believes that new ‘intifada’ is imminent in Palestinian territories.

“It is not a mere prediction; I estimate it will be a reality in the future” he said in an interview with Newsweek.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “He described the recent visit of House speaker Nancy Pelosi to Syria as a step in the right direction.

“Wise people in the US should realise that Israel and the fundamentalist American Conservative Right have both become burdens on the interests and the future of America,” he said.”

“Bureau Report”

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=33069

Afghan, Coalition Force Foil Attack; Suspects Detained

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 6, 2007 – Afghan and coalition forces thwarted an attack in Afghanistan’s Farah province yesterday, 10 suspected Taliban were detained in a separate incident, and the Afghan border police also stopped two suicide bombers near the Pakistan border.

Afghan National Police defended the Bakwa district center in Farah province yesterday following an attack by an unknown number of Taliban fighters.

The Afghan force asked for a show of force to stave off the insurgents, and coalition forces responded with close-air support. The police also requested assistance from the Farah Provincial Reconstruction Team’s security forces to secure the Bakwa district center.

The police held the district center against the Taliban, though eight Afghan police were killed in action. Two were wounded in action and one is reported missing in action. The wounded were evacuated to a hospital.

Seventeen insurgents were reported killed. The insurgents also burned four Afghan police vehicles.

In the Qalat district of Afghanistan’s Zabul province yesterday, coalition forces detained 10 men after raids on multiple compounds.

Officials said credible evidence led the forces to the compounds, where the detainees are suspected of facilitating foreign fighters working for the Taliban. Coalition forces were targeting known Taliban commanders and sub-commanders who organize attacks on coalition forces and peaceful Afghans in the Zabul province.

“These men are acknowledged facilitators for the Taliban in the area,” coalition spokesman Army Maj. Christopher Belcher said. “They have pushed their way into the homes of locals, demanding food and shelter, putting innocent families in danger.”

On May 4, Afghan Border Police guarding a Chamkani area border control point in Paktia province’s Dand Patan district stopped two suspicious men wearing concealed suicide vests when the men failed to stop after ignoring warnings from the police.

After repeatedly warning the bombers to stop, the guards shot and wounded one bomber. The wounded bomber detonated his vest, killing himself. The second suicide bomber evaded the guards during the aftermath of the explosion. There were no injuries to any Afghan civilians and no other shots were fired.

“The actions of the Afghan Border Police prevented the potential deaths of dozens of innocent Afghan civilians,” Belcher said. “Suicide bombers are cowards, and their actions bring disgrace upon their families and their religion.”

Coalition and Afghan national security forces have received intelligence indicating more than 10 Taliban commanders were among those killed during fighting in the village of Parmekan, south of Shindand in Herat province, on April 27 and 29.

One of the senior Taliban commanders reportedly killed was from Helmand province and recently was released with four other Taliban members in exchange for an Italian journalist who was taken hostage two months ago. Two other senior Taliban commanders who died in the battles were known enemies of the Afghan government for the past three years.

Reporting and intelligence suggests that most of the senior Taliban commanders and sub-commanders entered the Zerkoh Valley to reinforce enemy fighters in the village of Parmekan at the conclusion of the first battle against coalition and Afghan National Police forces. They were later killed during the second battle.

Combined Joint Task Force 82 and NATO’s International Security Assistance Force are working with the Afghan government to make inquiries into the incident to confirm reports of civilian casualties during the operation, officials said.

“Coalition and Afghan National Army Forces value the life of all Afghan civilians, while Taliban fighters have been known to use Afghan civilians as human shields when attacking coalition and Afghan national security forces,” Belcher said. “The lengthy battle against the Taliban fighters is an indication of the precautions taken by coalition and Afghan National Security Forces to positively identify enemy fighters and prevent the harm to any innocent Afghan civilians who did not vacate the area.”

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases.)